Bill > AR21

Introduced Session

This House urges Congress to enact the Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act. The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity is purchased insurance and the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is paid for service-caused death. The offset has been an unfair penalty that cuts earned benefits to military survivors. Currently, the surviving spouse of a military member who dies on active duty or of a service-connected illness or injury in retirement is entitled to survivor's benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs' DIC fund. However, if they had also voluntarily paid into the Department of Defense's SBP in addition to the DIC, their survivors' benefits can be subtracted by as much as $15,828 per year. Essentially, the SBP is subtracted from the total survivor's benefit, rather than added to it. This offset is a substantial burden for many surviving military families. Our nation's military personnel risk their lives to defend our nation and our freedoms. They should be able to trust that the benefits they designate for their families will be provided.

Committee Categories

Daniel Benson (D)*,  Carol Murphy (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee (on 01/11/2022)

Official Document